There is nothing quite like kicking off the season at home. 

Impatient fans - who have been starved of football for the past six months - get the opportunity to head to Adelaide Oval and cheer on their team once again, united in their hope for the upcoming campaign.

So to celebrate this Sunday’s season opener against the Saints, we have gone back through the archives and picked out four of our favourite Round One clashes in front of our home fans.

Round One, 2021 vs Geelong 

Expectations were not high among the Crows faithful when they arrived at Adelaide Oval to begin the 2021 season, after finishing bottom in 2020.

The Crows welcomed a Geelong side that played off in the Grand Final just six months earlier. 

Enter Taylor Walker. 

The Crows’ all-time leading goal-kicker was at his clinical best from the opening bounce, kicking the first goal of the match courtesy of a piece of brilliance out of the ruck, as he spearheaded Adelaide’s cause with five majors.

Walker’s commanding presence quickly rubbed off on his younger teammates, as they dialled up the pressure and troubled the season Cats.

A four-goal-to-two first term brought about a standing ovation from the Crows faithful at quarter-time, and that energy continued into a scintillating second term.

The crowd reached fever pitch on the half-time siren, as Walker marked close to the 50 metre arc, went back and put through his fourth goal of the day to top-off a magical first half. 

Although the scoreboard was well within Adelaide’s control, the class of the Cats always posed a threat, and in the third term they fought their way back into the contest.

Trimming the margin to 19 points at the final change, and with the March sun beating down, the Crows had to dig in for 30 more minutes. 

Geelong mustered one last charge but the grit of the Crows’ defence stood tall, as the hosts held on for a famous victory, with a contested mark by Walker on the siren proving to be a fitting finish.

Round One, 2017 vs GWS 

When pre-season premiership fancies Greater Western Sydney came to town to open the 2017 season, it presented the perfect opportunity for Adelaide to make a statement.

The Crows entered the campaign eager to take the next step and prove they were contenders, having finished as semi finalists in the past two seasons.

Round One served as the perfect chance to stake their claim, and the group grabbed the opportunity with both hands. 

Overcoming a slow start and a 14-point deficit at the first change, the Crows kicked into gear and produced three quarters of devastating football.

Eddie Betts led the way with four majors, as Adelaide’s high-powered forward line fired on all cylinders, kicking five goals in the second term, eight in the third and another seven in the last to put up an imposing final score of 147.

Rory Laird was at his accumulating best to finish with a game-high 40 disposals.

The performance was a sign of things to come for the Crows early in the season, as they won their first six games on their way to a minor premiership.

Round One, 2015 vs North Melbourne 

The beginning of the 2015 season signified a new era for the Adelaide Football Club. 

Phil Walsh had been installed as the Club’s sixth Senior Coach in the off-season, and began his tenure by elevating talented forward Taylor Walker to the role of Captain. 

After a summer of change, fans would get their first opportunity to see the new-look Crows in action as they welcomed North Melbourne to Adelaide Oval, a side fresh off a Preliminary Final appearance in 2014. 

And they certainly did not disappoint, producing a scintillating six-goal opening term, to blow the Kangaroos out of the water and begin the new campaign with a bang. 

Walker led the way in his first outing at Skipper, booting a then career-high six goals in a best-on-ground performance.

Leading by 63 points at the main change, Adelaide did falter in the early stages of the third, as the Kangaroos booted five unanswered goals to mount a challenge to the home side. 

But when it looked like his team could be in trouble, Walker steadied the ship, breaking North’s momentum, before adding two goals in the final term to lift the Crows to a statement making win. 

The good vibes continued after the final siren, as the players gathered in front of the cheer squad at the Southern end of the ground and locked arms with their most passionate supporters to sing the song.

Round One, 2011 vs Hawthorn 

Adelaide’s 20-year anniversary celebration was a night Crows fans would never forget. 

In a repeat of its very first match in 1991, Adelaide welcomed Hawthorn to Football Park, and as it did 20 years prior, came into the match a firm underdog.

Having said goodbye to a trio of champions in Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin and Brett Burton the year prior, the Crows entered 2011 with an inexperienced line-up.

The Hawks on the other hand sported a star-studded line-up, with the likes of Sam Mitchell, Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead and Shaun Burgoyne eager to begin their season with a victory.

Throughout the first half, all appeared to be going to script, as the classy Hawks kept the Crows at bay and opened up a comfortable 19-point lead at the main change. 

This is when the youthful exuberance of the Crows kicked in. 

Throwing caution to the wind, Adelaide flipped the script in the third term, as young stars Patrick Dangerfield (four goals) and Taylor Walker (three goals) ignited their team to a clinical seven-goal quarter. 

Remarkably, the Crows had the lead at three-quarter-time, and rode that momentum into the last quarter, as a vocal crowd lifted them to a 20-point win on their 20-year anniversary. 

Be there for our next home opener this Sunday! 

Get your tickets for Sunday’s clash against the Saints here.